IPOH, Feb 2 — With the Perak Pakatan Rakyat government on the brink of collapsing, state Umno leaders distanced themselves today from the fiasco which started with the disappearance of two state executive councillors from PKR, Jamaluddin Radzi and Osman Jailu.

PKR, on the other hand, believes that the duo are now trapped if they choose to quit the party.

Yesterday, state assembly speaker V. Sivakumar announced the resignation of the duo as assemblymen but Jamaluddin emerged from hiding to deny he had resigned and declared that he has no intention of joining Umno.

When contacted after Sivakumar's announcement, Umno leaders distanced themselves from the uncertainties in the Perak government.

"I have nothing to say; the letters I believe were signed soon after the election last year," said Perak Umno secretary Datuk Ramly Zahari.

He was non-committal when asked whether the duo would quit PKR to join Umno.

"Let it be," Ramly told The Malaysian Insider when asked about the possibility of the Perak government losing its majority in the state assembly. [read more]